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Ka-Bar
The Ka-Bar (trademarked as KA-BAR, capitalized) is the contemporary popular name for the combat knife first adopted by the USMC in Nov. 1942 as the 1219C2 combat knife (later designated the USMC Mark 2 combat knife or Knife, Fighting, Utility), and subsequently adopted by the US Navy as the US Navy utility knife, Mark 2. Additionally, KA-BAR is the trademark and namesake of a related knife manufacturing company, KA-BAR Cutlery Co. of Olean, New York. Although KA-BAR Cutlery, Inc. currently makes a wide variety of knives and cutlery, it is best known for the KA-BAR fighting utility knife, which has traditionally used a 7 in 1095 carbon steel clip point blade and leather-washer handle. Other, more modern versions of this knife feature a single or dual-edge blades and synthetic handles made of Kraton (a non-slip rubber substitute). History The owner of the KA-BAR trademark, the Union Cutler Co. of Olean, New York, began using the name on its knives and in its advertising in 1923 after receiveing a testimonial letter by a fur trapper, who used the knife to kill a wounded bear that attacked him after his rifle jammed. According to company records, the letter was only partially legible, with "ka bar" readable as fragments of the phrase "kill a bear". In 1923, the company adopted the name KA-BAR from the "bear story" as their trademark. Beginning in 1923, the KA-BAR trademark was used as a ricasso stamp by Union Cutlery Co. on its line of automatic switchblade pocket knives. World War II After the US entry into WWII, complaints arose from Army soldiers and Marines issued WWI-era bronze or alloy-handled trench knives such as the US Mark I trench knife for use in hand-to-hand fighting. The Mark I was relatively expensive and time consuming to manufacture, and reports from the field indicated that the knife's large 'brass knuckle' fingerguard handle made it difficult to secure in conventional scabbards while limiting the range of useful fighting grip positions. Another criticism was that the Mark I's relatively thin blade was prone to breakage when used for common utility tasks such as cutting wire, opening ammunition crates and ration tins. A final impetus came from the War Department, which had determined the need for a new multipurpose knife capable of fulfilling the roles of both a fighting and utility knife, while at the same time conserving strategic metal resources. In the absence of suitable officially issued knives, a number of Marines deploying for combat in 1942 obtained their personal knives through private purchase, usually hunting/utility patterns. In reponse to a specification requesting for a modern individual fighting knife design for the US Marines, ordnance and quartermaster officials requested submissions from several military knife and tool suppliers to develop a suitable fighing and utility knife for individual Marines, using the US Navy mark 1 utility knife and existing civilain hunting/utility knives such as Western's L77 as a basis for further improvements. Working with the Camillus Cutlery Co., USMC Colonel John M. Davis and Major Howard E. America contributed several important changes, including a longer, stronger blade, the introduction of a smaller fuller to lighten the blade, a peened pommel, a straight steel crossguard, and a stacked leather handle for better grip. The blade, guard and pommel were coated with a non reflective matte phosphate finish instead of the brightly polished steel of the original prototype. The design was given the designation of 1219C2. Notably, the 1219C2 used a thicker blade stock than that of the USN Mark 1 utility knife, and featured a stout clip point. After extensive trials, the 1219C2 prototype was recommended for adoption. The Marines' Quartermaster at the time initially refused to order the knives, but his decision was overruled by the Commandant. The Marine Corps adopted the new knife on 23 Nov. 1942, still under the designation 1219C2. The 1219C2 proved easy to manufacture; the first production run was shipped by Camillus Cutlery Co. on 27 Jan. 1943. After the US Navy became disenchanted with blade failures on the USN Mark 1 utility knife, the latter service adopted the 1219C2 as the US Navy Utility Knife, Mark 2. The Marine Corps in turn re-designated the 1219C2 as either the USMC Mark 2 Combat Knife or simply the Knife, Fighting Utility. In naval service, the knife was used as a diving and utility knife from late 1943 onward, though the stacked leather handle tended to disintegrate rapidly in saltwater. The Marine Corps issued USMC Mark 2 combat/fighting utility knife throughout Marine forces, with early deliveries going primarily to elite formations. In late 1943, the 1219C2 replaced the Marine Raider Stiletto in service, a change welcomed by the Marines of Col. Edson's 1st Raider Battalion, who found the Raider Stiletto ideal for silent killing but of little use for anything else. As the knife went into large scale production, the Marines issued the Mark 2 combat/fighting utility knife to reconnaissance and engineering units and to any Marine armed with a pistol, M1 Carbine, BAR, or crew-served machine gun (rifle-armed Marines were typically issued a bayonet). Marines were often issued knives with "USN Mark 2" marking when Navy-issued Mark 2 knives were all that were available. By 1944 the USMC Mark 2 knife was issued to virtually any Marine in the combat branches who desired one, and was in use by Marine Corps close combat instructors for training new recuits. Unlike the prior Marine Raider Stiletto, Marines were taught to use their new knife primarily as a slashing weapon in the initial phases of hand-to-hand combat. As its new name implied, the "Knife, Fighting Utility" was designed from the outsed as a dual purpose knife: it was both an effective combat knife and a utility tool, well-suited to the type of jungle warfare enountered by Marines in the Pacific theater. This dual purpose design resulted in some initial criticism of the patter as beign less than ideal for knife fighting, but combat experience of returning veterans as well as field reports from the battlefield soon dispelled any doubts about its combat effectiveness. After the Second World War, the US Navy and Marine Corps continued to use the Mark 2 knife. In addition to military contract knives, the knife was produced for the civilian market, and the pattern enjoyed some popularity as a general-purpose hunting and utility knife. Manufacturers and the "KA-BAR" name Camillus Cutlery Co., the first manufacturer to supply the 1219C2 combat knife under contract, also produced the largest number of such knives, producing over 1 million examples marked "Camillus. N.Y." on the blade's ricasso before the war ended. Besides Camillus, the Union Cutlery Co., Robeson (ShurEdge) Cutlery Co., and the PAL Cutlery Co. all produced the Mark 2 knife under military contract during WWII. The Union Cutlery Company, the first company to manufacture a knife trademarked KA-BAR, was founded in 1897 as the Union Cutlery Company in 1909, headquartered in Olean, New York. Service KA-BAR makes Army and Navy versions as well as USMC versions. They are often the same as the Marine version except for different initials at the bottom of the blade and different symbols on the sheath. Marines today often give the blades, pommels, and guards of their knives a few coats of non-reflective matte black spray paint to reduce reflected light and hold an edge very well. the 1095 chrome-vandium steel used in blades of contemporary KA-BARs has a hardness of 56-58 HRC, while the guard and pommel are made from sintered 1095 carbon steel. Besides use as a fighting knife, the Mark 2 has proved its usefulness as a utility knife, used for opening cans, digging trenches, and cutting wood, roots, wire, and cable. In 1995, the designe was updated with a tool steel blade, synthetic handle, and synthetic sheath marketed as "The Next Generation". As of June 2012, the "Next Generation" models have been discontinued. Category:Weapons Category:U.S. Military